The Old Ghost Of The House At Manchester

Leon was not easily frightened and had been known to laugh at those who were. If he was afraid, he was too tough and maybe a little too arrogant to admit it. When he retold the story of the old lady, he never betrayed how he felt during what surely must have been a terrifying experience.

The story goes that Leon had either rented or was otherwise allowed stay temporarily in a two-story house in the area of Manchester, Texas. Its former occupant and owner had recently died, so the house hadn't been empty for long. Concerning the former owner, it was stated that she was "crippled" in one foot. I do not remember if she was the victim of polio - for some reason I want to say she was. What I do distinctly remember is that she walked with the use of a cane (or maybe a walker) and made a distinct noise as she moved her "crippled" foot. It was always specified that the cane/walker would hit hard against the floor, and then her handicapped foot could be heard dragging. Needless to say, the lady (who was never named) could not sneak up on anyone in such a condition. If Leon's story is true, then it's also true that she wasn't able to sneak up on anyone in death, either!

As it happens, ol' Leon was a hardworking man who didn't spend all his free time away from home. It was his custom to come home from work exhausted, so much so that he didn't feel like doing much during the week. Apparently it became his habit to arrive at home, prepare his evening meals, relax, and then retire - just like millions of other Americans.

One night Leon followed his normal routine and then went to bed. He was alone in his bedroom except for one companion: a "large dog" who was his constant companion. This dog, which incidentally was known to be hostile toward anyone who was not Leon, slept on the floor beside the bed.

At some point after retiring, Leon heard what sounded like a disturbance downstairs. Then he realized the disturbance was clomping loudly up the stairs! He listened to this noise until it reached the landing at the top of the stairs, and then he heard a distinct sound that would have made a lesser man head for the nearest window. Someone was walking toward his room. One foot hit the floor, hard, the other made a dragging noise, as though it was sliding across the floor.

Step...drag. Step...drag. Step...drag.

Around this time in the story, as far as I can recall, is the point when Leon betrayed his true emotions. Well, sort of. In true country boy style, he slept with a shotgun beside his bed. As the dragger slowly but steadily approached his bedroom near the end of the hall, he loaded the weapon and took aim at the door.

Step...drag. Step...drag. Step...drag. Soon the walker arrived just outside the door to Leon's bedroom.

The door shook violently, as though someone was jerking on or twisting the knob, trying to get in... And then...

Silence...

The unknown visitor ceased its attempt to enter. It seemed to stomp to the other side of the hallway. A door slammed. All was quiet.

Leon said later that, "If that door had opened" he would have shot whomever or whatever was on the other side.

But what was on the other side? Leon testified that the large fierce dog beside his bed was asleep, and only raised its head once during the attempted entry. Strangely, it made no offer to bark or growl and was apparently unconcerned - or frightened. The best clue to his visitor's identity, he thought, was seen by the fact that it stomped across the hall and entered a room directly across from his bedroom.

It was the former owner's bedroom, to which she had retired all of her life.

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